Even though US European Command has seen an uptick in the amount of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance available in its area of operations, the increase still falls far short of the command’s requirement. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, commander of EUCOM and NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that within the past year he has seen a jump in the amount of ISR he can fly in his area. However, it is still less than 10 percent of an overall requirement “based on where our larger ISR enterprise is focused right now.” The bulk of the combat air patrols flown by ISR aircraft is largely focused on US Central Command, focusing on the fight against ISIS. Even within EUCOM, the surveillance flights mostly focus on the Turkish border and its place in Operation Inherent Resolve, Breedlove said.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
